Articulated car.



712%]: CZJJBJ PAT 1) 11.14 1908. M. ROUNDS. ENTE AP ARTIGULATED 05R.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 18, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'MYRON ROUNDS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ATENT oiuuon.

ARTICULATED CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented. April 14, 1908.

Application filed January 18, 1907. Serial No. 352- 16.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRoN RoUNDs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Im rovement in Articulated Cars, of which tile following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is'a specification,

like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a railway car especially designed and adapted for use on railways havin curves of s ort radii, and more particular y on street railways.

The invention has for its object to rovide an articulated car, composed of a p urality of members or sections, each of which may be of the length and .ca acity now commonly employed on street ra ways, and which are enabled to be used on the tracks now laid and having curves of substantially short radii, without causing the ends of the car to project over the curved tracks to such distance, as ,would interfere with trafiic on the street or the running ofcars on double tracks laid in close proximity to each other and having sharp turns at street corners. To this end, the adjacent ends of the members or sections of the articulated car are pivotally supported on a common truck extended beneath the said members'below the level of the fibers thereof, while the opposite ends of said sections are sup or ted on separate trucks. The center truc may and preferably will be constructed as will be described,

Fig. 2, I .car shown in F igI 1. ig. 3, a detail in plan of the center truck. Fig. 4, a partial side elevation and longitudinal sectlon of the truck shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5, a-detail to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings a, I) represent the two members or. sections of an articulated railway car embodying this invention.

The membersa, b may be the same or different typtps of cars, as for instance the member a may e a closed car and the member bmay be an open car. The first may be used'for passengers who do not smoke, and the second for smokers.

Each of the members a, b, may be of the standard orusual length now commonly em loyed on street railways.

n order that the members a, b may be used on street railways having curves of substantially short radii and especially on systems having double tracks provided with such curves, the adjacent ends of the members a, bare mounted on a common truck 0, which may be designated the center truck, while the said members have their opposite ends mounted on the trucks (1, e, which may be of any suitable construction, such as now commonly used on electric railways. The center truck 0 is provided with two pivots for the adjacent ends of the members a, b, and said pivots may be of usual construction and consists as hereinshown of two upper bearing plates y', k, and twci lower bearing plates m, n, (see Figs. 3 and4).

The up er bearing lates j, k are secured respective y to the ho ies of the cars or members a, b and in the present instance, said bearing plates are secured to wooden blocks 0' fastened between longitudinal'stringers or E-beams p upon which the floor (1 and crown piece 1 are laid.

The lower bearing plates m, n are secured upon a cross bar 10, which is su ported by side frames 12, 13 of the truck c, the said side frames being connected at their ends by cross bars 14. The side frames 12, 13 have secured to themcastings 15, having out-' wardly extended arms 16, provided with sockets 17, (see Fig. 4) open at their lower ends for the reception of springs 18, the lower ends of which rest upon washers 1'9 and the upper ends of which bear against. the end walls of said sockets. The'washrs 19 are mounted on and supported by bolts 20 extended up through t e end walls of the sockets 1'7 and through bars 21 of iron or steel,

from which said bolts are suspended. The

bars 21 are firmly secured by the U-shaped bolts 24 to'the top of the boxes 25 for the journals of the axles 26,127, the said U-bolts passing under the said journal boxes and bemg secured by the nuts 28. The axles 26,

27, are rovided with the usual wheels 30, 31.

l It w' thus be'seen, that the adjacent ends of thecar members or sections a, b, are su ported by the truck frame comprising t e side and end bars 12,13 and 14, and that this frame is in turn yieldingly sup orted by the springs 18, which are sustaine from the journal boxes 25 by the bolts 24, the truck frame being guided in its vertical movement by ribs 33 on t e arms 16 of the castings 15 movable in ve tical grooves in the journal boxes. It will also be noticed, that the journal boxes for the car axles 26, 27, are located between the car wheels, that is between the car tracks, not shown, and that nothing proj ects beyond the car wheels, consequently ample room is afforded for the turning of the truck a on curves of substantially small radii without interfering with the steps or running board 35 at the sides of the car member. So also, by pivoting the adjacent ends of the car members or sections 111 close proximity to their ends, as herein represented, the adjacent ends of the said members do not overhang or project beyond the tracks when rounding a curve of substantially small ra' dius, to any material extent, and therefore a car embodying this invention is capable of being used on street railways having double tracks laid on substantially narrow streets and provided with curves of substantially short radii at the street corners. It will also be seen, that the adjacent ends of the members or sections a, b, are substantially close together, which enables passengers to pass from one car to another if desired and also enables one motorman and one conductor to operate practically two cars, thereby effecting a material saving in this res ect.

. The side spaces between the adjacent ends of the car may be closed by an extensible vestibule 37 of any suitable construction. Auxiliary supports for the adjacent ends of the members or sections a, b may be provided,

and for this purpose the frame of the truck 0 is provided at each corner with an antifriction device, such as a gear or pinion 40, which engages a curved rack 41 attached to the underside of the car body, and in the present instance, said rack bars are represented in Fig. 2 as secured tobars 42 extended longitudinally of the car body.

I have herein represented one construction of articulated car embodying this invention, but I do not desire to limit my invention to the construction shown.

Claims.

1. In a car of the class described, in combination, a plurality of car body members or sections, trucks to support the same at the remote ends of adjacent sections or members,

and a single truck interposed between the end trucks and extended under the adjacent ends of said members or sections below the floors thereof, and means to pivotally secure the adjacent ends of said members or sections separatel to said single truck, substantially as descri ed.

2. In acar of the class described, in combination, a plurality of car body members or sections provided with side steps at their ad- 'jacent ends, trucks to sup ort the remote ends of said members, an a center truck interposed between the said end trucks and extended under the adjacent ends of said members below the floors thereof, said center truck being provided with axles having j ournal bearings between the wheels thereon, side bars supporting said journal bearings and a cross bar secured to said side bars between said wheels and substantially in line with the adjacent ends of said body mem-- bers, and means to pivotally secure said adjacent ends to said cross bar, substantially as described.

3. In a car of the class described, in combination, two car body members, trucks to support the remote ends thereof, and a center truck extended under both body members below the level of the floors thereof and to which the adjacent ends of said members areseparately pivoted, substantially as described.

4. In a car of the class described, in combination, two car body members, trucks to support the remote ends thereof, and'a center truck extended under both body members below the level of the floors and having separate pivots for the adjacent ends of sald members, substantiall as described.

' 5. In a car of the c ass described, in combination, two car body members provided with doors in their sides at opposite ends thereof, trucks to support the same at the remote ends of said car body members, a single center truck interposed between the end trucks and extended under the adjacent ends of said members below the floors thereof, se arate pivots on said center truck for 

